65. Bao zi: A Chinese steamed bread with fillings (part III)

This morning when I opened window, a fresh but a bit chilly air blowed in, that was autumn air, autumn refreshing wind, suddenly felt like my ‘summer laziness’ gone, and the fresh autumn just gave me a new start. I took a deep breathe. Autumn is beautiful.

Just when I enjoyed coolness and refreshing air of the early autumn, I saw a little yellow flower outside window – the summer flower…

Preparing the pastry sheet:

1. Gently knead the dough of raised flour, then divide it into smaller pieces, around 4cm diameter ball, maybe?

2) Press the dough flat, then roll it into around 0.5cm thick sheet. It is better not to make it too thin, otherwise the pastry will not be raised up again when steamed.

Preparing the baozi’s dough

Folding:

1) Place one pastry sheet on your palm, make the hand into a little bowl shape, so that the filling could stay in the centre, and easy for folding it up.

2) Place a tablespoon of filling onto the centre of pastry sheet – keep the hand into ‘bowl’ shape.

3) Use another hand to firstly ‘close’ a small part of the edge, and hold that part to gradually ‘close’ the edges, around 1.3cm a time, eventually close the centre, and make a ‘little twist’.

Steaming

1) Before placing the Baozi into the steamer, dip the bottom into a little oil plate, so Baozi will not get sticked on the steamer sheet.

Steaming the baozi

2) Turn on the full fire, after water boiling, (the steam comes out), allow it to be steamed for further – around 6 mins, then it is done. (But if you are making meat filling, it needs couple minutes longer though).

3) Baozi need to be removed from the steamer immediately after they are.

Serving:

Baozi can be served just by themselves with dip. They can also be served with Chinese soup or congee. Some salad is also good on the table. :)

Baozi can be frozen, and re-warmed up. The best way of warming up is to use steamer again, so you can get that softness and freshness re-installed. Otherwise using Microwave is the simplest way, but they cannot be left in the microwave too long, probably around 1 or 2 minutes. Too long can cause the Baozi too dry or even hard.

Ok, it is now done with Baozi. It sounds a bit complicated, but … not really, and it is all worth it when you put it into mouth.